The racing career of graded stakes winner Rush Bay ended when he apparently took a bad step on the Churchill Downs turf course on Saturday as he was closing in on an apparent victory in his season debut.

Rush Bay, ridden by Rafael Bejarano, rallied from just off the pace and held off Purim in a long stretch duel to score a head victory in Saturday's $109,000 Opening Verse Handicap for 3-year-olds and up on the turf at Churchill Downs.